Not so long ago, Jarrod Wallace couldn't make his NRL club's starting side.
Now the revitalised Gold Coast Titans prop is daring to dream of a State of Origin debut.
Wallace staked another claim for the Queensland front-row vacancy created by Matt Scott (knee) with a powerhouse display in the Titans' stunning 38-36 win over competition leaders Melbourne at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
With Queensland coach Kevin Walters looking on, Wallace amassed 204m as the Titans overcame the loss of NRL star Jarryd Hayne (knee) to clinch a third straight win.
"I'd love to play Origin but that's still a few weeks away," Wallace said.
"Me doing my job here is only going to lead to something like that down the track.
"I'm really focused on playing good football for the Titans and what happens, happens."
Remarkably, Wallace has not been able to crack a regular NRL starting berth until this year.
Wallace made his NRL debut for Brisbane way back in 2012 but could not graduate from the Broncos bench, making just five starts last year.
He seemed further away than ever from Queensland when he was among eight players banned from Origin for 12 months for breaking a 2016 Emerging Maroons camp curfew.
Now Wallace is firmly in the Origin mix after relishing a front row berth with the Titans.
He has started all 10 games for the Gold Coast this year, averaging 147m and 32 tackles a match.
"He's been good all year. He trucks the ball forward, does all the little things and he's great to play with," said Titans co-captain and front row partner Ryan James.
"I'm very happy he came back down the coast to play with me."
Wallace had racked up 120m in just the first 30 minutes against Melbourne.
It was his second straight 200m-plus effort at his old home ground after a stunning 264m haul against his former club three weeks ago.
Wallace will hope to get another chance to impress at Suncorp Stadium in two weeks when the Origin opener is held in Brisbane on May 31.
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